1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to oceanographic instrumentation, and more particularly to a thermal microstructure measurement system for obtaining temperature data from a planar array of sensors in shallow water to determine sound speed in the water column.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Current conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) devices are lowered from a stationary ship, and a recorder on board simultaneously records measurements of temperature, salinity (conductivity) and depth. These devices use a single thermistor referenced to an accurate platinum resistance device which is expensive, require cable connection to the ship, and are winched up and down to obtain profile data. What is desired is an autonomous system which can produce a three-dimensional data acquisition of current flow.